construction in dry climate?

[larry wave]

Living in central california(3000 ft, very dry) I've been wondering about the feasability of building traditionally, solid wood ,lapstrake without epoxy. A friend of mine has a lumber yard at the old North Fork mill site and deals exlusivly with reclaimed lumber, except for a few huge red cedar beams logged about twelve years ago. I've been drooling over that cedar for a few years now ( 25tf long 17'' by 24'' clear vg on wide face tight:eek: ) Would building a trailered boat,maybe coquina, with cedar in this climate be feasable? My concerns are temperture varience and lack of humidity- winter =20deg at night 65 at day-summer 60 at night 105 at day. The boat would be on a trailer in the winter. Seems like it would be tough to minimize wood movement in this climate. I've used epoxy alot( boat yard s. Cal) in in the past and would like to try to build a boat with out it. Any comments?

[Bob Smalser]

In a trailer boat planked with VG WRC, you won't have any problems at all. It's almost as stable as plywood.

It's just as dry here from July-October, and unprotected wood can reach as low as 4% EMC in the sun, only with wet winters taking it to 15% EMC a few months later. The solution is stable woods and good paint protection.

The problems usually happen in the other direction and with less stable woods....building a boat at 12% EMC only to move it to Arizona where it shrinks to 4% EMC. A VG WRC boat would remain fairly tight while one planked with PO Cedar or Doug Fir wouldn't.

[J P]

If that cedar was logged in central CA it might be Incense Cedar. Similar to WRC though.

[Vincent Serio III]

I think Bob has summarized it quite well. Here's a picture of my boat 6 months after I moved it from the swamps of Virginia to Boise, 2500' and DRY. Cedar deck laid tongue and groove...http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid116/p048de60d2213ecd41f84d5617944a2ca/f8b8ba75.jpg